Dirty Day Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I don't know you
And you don't know the half of it

I had a starring role
I was the bad guy who walked out


[Verse 2]
They say be careful where you aim
'Cause where you aim, you just might hit

You can hold onto something so tight
You've already lost it


[Verse 3]
Dragging me down
That's not the way it used to be
You can't even remember
What I'm trying to forget

[Chorus]
It was a dirty day
Dirty day


[Verse 4]
You're looking for explanations
I don't even understand
If you need someone to blame
Throw a rock in the air, you'll hit someone guilty
[Bridge]
From father to son
In one life has begun
A work that's never done
Father to son
(Love, it won't last kissin' time)
(Love, it won't last kissin' time)
(Love, it won't last kissin' time)

[Verse 5]
Get it right
There's no blood thicker than ink
Hear what I say
Nothing's as simple as you think

[Verse 6]
Wake up
Some things you can't get around
I'm in you
More so when they put me in the ground

[Outro]
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill
These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill

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About

Genius Annotation

‘Dirty Day’ is a father and son song. ‘It’s a dirty day,’ was an expression my dad would use and there is a lot of him in there but it was also influenced by Charles Bukowski, the great American writer and drinker. His nickname was Hank and I use his phrase at the end of the song, ‘Hank says the days go by like horses over the hills.’ The song is about a character who has walked out on his family and, years later, meets the son he’s abandoned. So it’s not about my father but I used some of my dad’s attitude."

Bono, U2 By U2 2006

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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